Refrigerated commodity box



D 1951 J. T. FRITQSCHE 2,579,379

REFRIGERATED COMMODITY Box Filed Nov. 10, 1949 l l l l I Ame/vsys Patented Dec. 18, .1951

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34 0mm. (CIHGZ- TIE) Side and outside "thereof "so that -t afrotxs netwered commodities *ca n be filace'd in *the box' 'fr'om considerable -leng'th "df time as, fo; "instanee, if the oc'cupafits-"df the l'i'ouse-?are"not at"home or if they do "ndtprompitly remove the ='commoditles 'fromthebox. "Thecommodities remaining in the box for aco'nsiderable pefio'd o'itime'may' resxilt inthe -spo'iling "or deterioration-oi" the same, 'par- *An objeet 'of'theinven ion is provedand'"novel-"commodityb'ox 6f t'he type referred *to and *whe'rein p'efishable commodities ean be-saifly' ptaced and may reinelin for ew tended per-mas 6f time without *dahger ol the same spoilin'g or detefil'oreltln g. A further ofijeetisiit'o provide a ticmru nnel'ity box, =pairtici'ilai'ly as referred to in the last 6bje'et; and whieh"box so construeted tl'i'atit may the adjusted "to fit "and be posi'tion'ed in w2tl1s=df different th'iiiknesses, wherfore' the boxes may be form'eG as 'a standard unit "and need not be made inwarious sizes "to "interfit "different {wan 'tl iifckmesses. V I

Fur'thei' and aiidi'tfonllfliiebts arid advantages not 'hereinbfore referred to will become apper ent herin'a'fter during *the detailed description of an "embodiment of *the invention "which is: to foll'ow.

5-1 is a YronteIevationaI View? abom modity box embodying the invention mnflfghbWS the box mounted .in awall, the view being taken frOmWhe-outside ofthebuilding. I-

Fig. 2 is a tvlewmsimilar to-illigpl but is taken from the inside ofthebt'iilding, while the refrigevatlng-unit 'm'oun'tedi 'n th'e lc'iox' is' indicated by dash lines.

Fig. 3 lsramofizontalfseetional wiew taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the dlretion of the arrowsafid ;1='i'g ;:"4 is a sectional view coi'ie'spond g ito a portion of Fig. 31nd *lson a larger seal than t'sideiimatemr unemuer or end-wanto-wmehzmay to provide-'an'im- 7 -".i[?he commodity bex :enibndying lithe -invention 'andrillusttated in thefdrawings :eomprisesan outbe formed or wood, metal or any other suitable material "zrhe'plate or'membe'r HI fie-positioned over: an :epenin'g "through awall indicated generally -:ett H rand' exten'ds beyond the edgesof the opeffing tandfis "secured to the outer wall *l2'1by 'siiitabl'e'securing means as, ifor ins'tance, 'the bolts illustrated.

= The outerplate or member or endwal-l l 0 inlts lower portion is provided with a rectangular opening that is moi-many rc'losed by a 1600113. 'frhe door 13 is 'FShO'WIl as hinged to the plate 1:0

along one "of the 'vertioal edges of :the :door by "suitable whinges id which may be spring hinges. lhe wither 'vertical edge 'of" the door 'I 3 mounts a dock' or' latch t5, the bolt "of "which cooperates with a keeper +6 carried by "the plate H3 'to'secu-rethe door :in closed 'TPGSitiOH.

'EIl're tdo'or il3 is formed of 'two sheets, one of which isiplanul'ar 'an'd "constitutes 'th'e'outer surfaoeefithe dbor while the" secondsheet is secured ito'theiinnerside of' thafirstzshe'etand has an inwardhtextendin'g pontion H spaced'fr'om the first :sheet and adapted "when the door is closed to interfit the opening in the wall similai'ly' to the toonstruetionof refri'gerator doors. Suitable "insulation 18 ma-y be positioned :in the space clefined between thebu-ter sheet and the portion H nt-thenner sheet of the -door I 3.

EI'he outerplate H1 is provided with'a "rectangularrgroove surrounding the opening-closed by the door 123 and this egroove mounts -a suitable thermal insulating :gasket 4:9 engaged by the door-when the lattenis closed. The plate 10 has seouned toitsiinner side so as to extend into the lat-6h "oi-reek 21 'the "bolt ofj which cooperates with} keeper 'Eseeure'd to thepleite 22. "The upper door 2 5 may be similarly "constructed and is lunged-1y eohht'd to the' inner plate 2-2 by the hinges 29 and likewise carries a latch or look 30, the bolt of which cooperates with a keeper 3! secured to the inner plate 22. Bottom, top and side walls 32 similar to the walls 20 previously referred to are secured to the inner side of the plate 22 and telescope within the walls 20 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The telescoping arrangement just referred to enables the commodity box to be adjusted to fit walls of various thicknesses and hence the box can be standardized as'distinguished from the necessity of making it in various sizes.

An insulating gasket 33 is interposed between vvherein one of saidsections includes interiorly ,thereof a supporting shelf, a mechanical refrigthe walls and the walls 32 for'apurpose'which is, obvious. Secured to the inner plate 22 and to upper and lower openings -in.the plate 22 is a horizontally extending partition 34 which separates the commodity box and particularly the inner section thereof into upper and lower compartments. If desired, the outer section of the commodity box' can be provided with 2; Similar partitionlocatedas to overlapthe underside of the partition 34. A

The partition 34 mounts a mechanical refrige crating unit indicated in Fig. 2 generally at' 35 and which may be of conventional form and include the usual motor and compressor. Pipes extend from the compressor through the partition 34 to the refrigerating coil 35 .carried by the underside of the partition 34 and located in the lower compartment.

Suitable circuit breakers in the electrical circuit to the motor of the refrigerating unit may be operatively associated with the outer door l3 andthe inner door '24 to efiectdeenergizationof the motor in case either of these doors is left open-and to automatically close thecircuit to the motor when the doors are closed. Also, suitable spring means may-be operatively associated with the doors [3 and 24 tomaintain the same normally closed as, for instanca'the hinges l4 and 25 may take the form of spring hinges;

It will be understood that the d'oor25 provides access from the insideof the building to'the upper compartment wherein the refrigerating unit is located.

From the foregoing it will be evident that-a delivery man may open the door l3 from the outside of the building and place in the lower compartment of the box whatever commodities he is delivering. In case the commodities include perishable ones, such as dairy products or meats, they may remainin the box without dan ger of spoiling or deteriorating for an indefinite time inasmuch as the temperature within the box will be maintained sufliciently'low to properly refrigerate the commodities. Qf course'the occupant of the house can remove the commod ities in the usual way by opening the door 24 from the inside of the house to obtain access to the lower compartment ofthe commodity box. If desired the boxmay be used as an'auxiliary or overflow refrigerator should the necessity occur.

Although a preferred embodiment of the inscribed comprising a container formed of two telescopically adjustable sections, each section including bottom, sideand top walls and an end W k n tom-sid ndier l ceas s:

4 tion telescoping within the corresponding walls of the other section; thermal insulating means interposed between the telescoping walls of said sections, the end wall of one section being adapted to be secured to the inner side of the building or house wall and the end wall of the other section being adapted to be secured to the outer side thereof, said end walls being provided with openings afiording access to the interior of the 'containerj gaiid doors mounted on said'end walls for normallyclosing said openings.

g 2. A commodity box as defined in claim 1 and erating unit mounted upon said shelf and includinga refrigerating coil for refrigerating the interior of thecontainer.

3."A commodity box as defined in claim 1 and wherein the bottom, side and top walls of each section are secured to the end wall of the respective section and are formed.- of-spaced'parallel: wall elements having thermal insulating material; located between said elements, while said doors each includes an outer planular door element having secured thereto an inner door element provided with a portion offset from said outer door element-and interfitting the endwall opening, thermal :insulatingmaterial. being .interposed between said outer door element and said offset portion :of the inner door element.

4. A commodity box-ref the character described comprising a container adapted to be mounted in a throughopening ,in. the outside wall ,ofa building or house and including bottom, top, side and end walls, said end wallsbeing adapted to be positioned overthe oppositeends of said building or house wall through opening and of .a size larger than the oppositeends of said opening so as-to overlap and be secured to the opposite sides of saidoutside building or house wall to form in effect part thereof; saidbottom; top and side walls being adapted to be located within said through opening in-theoutside building or house wall; a support located interiorly of said container-intermediate the bottom and top walls thereof and dividing said container into upper and lower compartments-with one of said compartments extendingv uninterruptedly between said end walls, said bottom, top and side walls being connected to saidend Walls while said support is connected to said side walls, said end walls being provided with openings communicating with said one compartment, doors mounted on said end walls for closing said openings therein, a mechanical refrigerating unit mountedgon said support with the refrigerating coil thereof. located within said-one comparte ment while the remainder of said unit is located within theother of said twocompartments, said side, bottom and top walls of said container'and said doors comprising-spaced parallel wall elements having thermal insulating material mountedtherebet'weenw H Number Date Name 1,935,130 .Schauman Nov. 14, 1933 1,954,13 King, ..Ap'r..1 .0, 1934 1,975,323 "Alden Oct. 9,1934 

